From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos   
   From Address: rikp@aol.com   
   Subject: Re: Which ship is truly faster?   
      
   > > I've suspected that the distance between the star systems in that long   
   > > ago far away galaxy are much closer together than the star systems   
   > > here in the Milky Way. So they don't need to go quite so fast to get   
   > > somewhere.   
   >   
   > > (Maybe the universe hadn't expanded so much at that time.)   
   >   
   > That is the best Hard SF explanation I ever heard for the Star Wars   
   > Galaxy and Republic or Empire with the closeness. Also, as you   
   > mentioned, the speed of travel.   
      
   Wookieepedia says that the Star Wars galaxy is 120,000 light years   
   across.  Our Milky Way Galaxy is estimated at 100,000 light years   
   across.  Star Trek's Federation exists in only one quarter of our   
   galaxy (the Alpha Quadrant) whereas the Republic/Empire in Star Wars   
   encompasses its entire galaxy (it is the "Galactic Republic" and   
   Palpatine is the "Galactic Emperor").   
      
   As to the Millennium Falcon in particular, we don't know how much of   
   its galaxy it traveled in.  If it's more than the equivalent size of   
   the Alpha Quadrant then it would have to be faster than Enterprise to   
   reach its destinations in the time we see on screen during the films.   
   If it's traveling within a smaller, yet pivotal, section of its galaxy   
   then it could be equal or slower than the Enterprise.   
      
   What I find interesting is that jumping to light speed in Star Wars is   
   a sure-fire escape, while going to warp speed in Star Trek still   
   leaves a ship visible to tracking devices and susceptible to hostile   
   attack.   
      
   Rik   
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